Keystone Montessori Parents Organization

KEMPO Newsletter - Oct 3, 2011

2011-10-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

KEMPO wants to thank all the parents and children for their contributions of sand to the playground sandbox! We now have plenty of sand for the kids to play with!

Room 2: Ethan and Janelle,Kareena, Ann
Room 3: Divyashri,Omayr,Jocelyn,Henry
Room 4: Medha,Thomas
Room 5: Rishi,Estella
Room 6: Sabah

And thank you to all the donors who wanted to remain anonymous. The kids LOVE the sand!

Reminder: The UN Dinner will be October 28th from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Chelmsford Senior Center. At the UN Dinner we hold a basket raffle.

Please look for the donation flier in your child's folder this week.

NEXT KEMPO MEETING- OCTOBER 6TH AT 4PM in the Keystone Kitchen

2011-09-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

SCHOOL PICNIC

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

FROM 4 to 6 PM

Please join us to celebrate the beginning of this school year withour annual picnic

at Roby Park, Nashua,NH. Located off of Spit Brook Road.

Please bring your own ‘family picnic’ (entree) and beverage. Also,we ask that you bring 1 side dish to share with a serving utensil (serving 8 to10).

Here are some suggestions on dishes to share :

Salads, Appetizers, Side Dishes, Desserts, Fruits, Vegetables

We request that each dish be clearly labeled ON THE SERVING CONTAINER (please not on the cover), with thefollowing information:

· If it isVegetarian/Non-Vegetarian

· Ingredients OR Allergens listing(eg: Dairy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Sesame, Soy, Wheat, Eggs, Fish, Shellfish).

** We do not have a rain date for this event so we hope that theweather will cooperate!

________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

**Please help with sand for the playground - look at yourclassroom door boards (out in the hallway) for information!

KEMPO

Natasha,Carla, Karen and Darcy

2011-09-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

Keystone Montessori ParentsOrganization

September 12, 2011

WELCOME BACK!!

The Keystone Montessori Parent Organization (KEMPO)extends a warm welcome to parents new to the Keystone community andall returning parents.

If you are new you might ask "What is KEMPO"? KEMPO is a non-profit organization made up of all the parents andchildren of Keystone. It was set up to provide the children of Keystonewith some "extra" materials and activities that are not part of theeveryday curriculum.

Last year KEMPO was able to provide:

✴ A moveable balance beam was purchased forthe playground that all the children could enjoy

✴ "Mrs. Junkbox" presented a funtalk about recycling and made puppets with the kids

✴ National Geographic magazines purchasedfor each classroom

✴ Grantmoney was given to each teacher to order new Montessori materials for every

classroom

This year we would like to be able to provide even more for thechildren of Keystone.

The KEMPO board this year consists of :

Co-President: Carla Vogel - (daughter Jocelyn in EL)

Co-President : Natasha Sass (son Ryan in morning 1/2 day)

Treasurer: Darcy Beall - (son Ethan and daughter Janelle inafternoon 1/2 day)

Secretary : Karen Uttecht - (daughter Drema and son Jackson inEL)

__________________________________________________________

FIRSTKEMPO MEETING OF THE YEAR!

Pleasecome join us and see what KEMPO is all about...

When:This Friday, September 16th

Time:4:00 to 5:00

Where:In Keystone's new kitchen area

Why:Because we need your help :)

Thechildren usually love to socialize at this time in aftercare and you will beable to send your Keystone children into aftercare freeof charge if you are attending this meeting...wehope you can make it!

___________________________________________________________________

We are looking for volunteers, like you!

We are looking for parents to join KEMPOand make a positive impact for the 2011-2012 school year.

We need to fill the following positions this year:

· 2Fundraising Organizers

· SocialEvent Coordinator

· Box Tops for EducationCoordinator

If you are interested in joining KEMPO or might want to volunteersome time, please e-mail your name and what youare interested in to keystone.parents@gmail.com

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Areyou a classroom parent?

KEMPO would like to keep in contact with youthroughout the year so that we can provide detailed up to date information onnews and events and keep everyone informed. If youcan attend the first KEMPO meeting this week, we would love to meet you.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Keep up to date!

This yearyou can Like our FacebookPage, or read the KEMPOBlog to keep up to date on events throughout the year!

Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/pages/Keystone-Montessori-Parents-Organization-KEMPO/123173158107

Blog : http://keystoneparents.blogspot.com/

___________________________________________________________________

We hope that all the children have a great year here atKeystone!

KEMPO

Carla, Natasha, Darcy and Karen

Welcome back to the 2010-2011 School Year!

2010-09-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

A letter from Carla Vogel, a fellow parent and newcomer to the KEMPO board

Hello to all the established and new Keystone Montessori families!

I am writing to you today as a new member of KEMPO and would like to just introduce myself and our team of parents that are behind the parents organization in Keystone this year and give you a little background on what we do and what we would like to do for all our children in the future. My name is Carla Vogel and my daughter Jocelyn is in the afternoon half day program. This is my first year on KEMPO. This year I wanted to become part of the board of KEMPO as Co-President with veteran President Leela Obilichetti whose daughter Shailaja attends the morning half day class, Nandita Agarwal, our returning treasurer whose son Yash attends the full day Room 4 and lastly Natasha Sass who is our new secretary whose daughter Ana attends the afternoon half day class.

Well, if you are like myself, you are a parent that really did not know what KEMPO really does and why it exists. So I found out. KEMPO is made up of all the parents of this school and it is a non-profit entity. When this organization makes any money it goes directly to all the students that attend Keystone. It is able to bring some extras to the school for the children so that they all benefit from it. For example, in the past KEMPO funded enough money to actually help with the set up of our upper elementary program. The KEMPO team, last year were able to access a grant that now allows our children to have a wonderful music and art curriculum headed by Ms. Walton. The grant was once again granted to the school this year and will continue to fund the music and art curriculum. We feel this is a very important part of the curriculum which wouldn’t have been doable without the grant.

The school part of Keystone is set up to provide our children with a quality education and Montessori educated teachers and all the materials that the school needs through tuition. But, KEMPO is allowed to give our kids that little extra stuff - provide some new works to the classes that is not necessary but would be great to have. For example, the teachers received from KEMPO the money to purchase a state of the art microscope and they have also provided funding for the Bells Montessori work and many others. Last year, KEMPO also funded the buying of a worm bin for composting in one of the classrooms to teach the students about an importance of sustainability in the environment.

KEMPO also provides an avenue for social interaction amongst our students and families. We also encourage students to be a part in helping the environment and the community around us.

Our goals this year for the children are -

1. HAVE FUN - We are going to have some KEMPO sponsored social events that families will like to attend.

2. Provide new playground piece(s) for all the students to enjoy.

3. Provide a few extra in-school field trips that will not be of any cost to the parents.

4. Provide some new materials that everyone can enjoy in their class that are not part of the regular curriculum.

We can make this happen with your help through fundraising and volunteering and we hope that we have your support to make our children's lives in their "home away from home" just a little bit better.

I know that I sent my child to Keystone after looking around at other schools because they provide top quality Montessori educated teachers that have been with the school and are experienced. I think we all sent our children in hopes that they have a head start in life and that they turn out to be well rounded individuals that love to learn. We can provide the school with the support they need in order to even further this. KEMPO can provide our children with more and that is something that I think everyone wants and that is why you chose the Montessori Education.

Please feel free to contact us and if you want to volunteer for any event. We would love have you. Our email address is keystone.parents@gmail.com. We will keep in contact throughout the year to provide you with information on the parents organization and our progress. We hope that we can make a difference for the students this year at Keystone and for future years to come.

Sincerely,

Carla

KEMPO Board for 2010/2011

Co-Presidents: Leela Obilichetti & Carla Vogel

Secretary: Natasha Sass

Treasurer: Nandita Agarwal

If you are interested in working with KEMPO in the coming school year, then please send an email to keystone.parents@gmail.com and let us know how you would like to help.

End-Of-Year Picnic

2010-06-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

Join us to celebrate the end of this school year and the start of the summer with our annual picnic at Roby Park, Nashua, NH, on June 11 from 5 to 7 pm.

If you plan to attend, then please bring a dish to share (serving 8 to 10) and your own beverage. We will provide plates, napkins and cutlery. To make sure that we do not have dessert overload, we have provided suggestions below for dishes, based on an alphabetical order of family last names -
A to D - Desserts
E to K - Appetizers/salads
L to R - Entrees
S to Z - Side dishes

As always, we request that each dish be clearly labeled ON THE SERVING CONTAINER INSTEAD OF THE COVER, with the following information:·
Veg./Non-Veg.·
Ingredients and Allergens listing (eg: Dairy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Seasame, Soy, Wheat, Eggs, Fish, Shellfish).

We do not have a rain-date for this event, so we hope that the weather will cooperate!
Hope to see everybody then!

Open positions on KEMPO Board for 2010/2011
Some positions, including President and Secretary will be open on the KEMPO Board for 2010/2011. If you are interested in working with KEMPO in the coming school year, then please send an email to keystone.parents@gmail.com and let us know how you would like to help.

As we look back at this year, we are proud of everything that KEMPO has accomplished with your help. The UN Dinner, Fundraiser for American Montessori Society conference, Jump-On-In Night, Portrait Silhouettes and Teachers Appreciation Week – these events marked a stellar year of giving and participation, and we want to thank each and every one of you for helping make them happen. None of this would have been possible without your support.

End-of-year KEMPO survey - We would love your feedback!
We will appreciate it if you would take a few minutes (about 5 minutes) of your time to complete the end-of-year KEMPO survey that was sent out last week in your child's folder. Completed surveys can be returned to your child's classroom teacher by June 9.

Recent events
April and May were very busy months for us at KEMPO, highlighted by the Portrait Silhouettes event and Teachers Appreciation Week.
We enjoyed a great turnout for the Portrait Silhouettes event in April, when artist Jean Comerford wowed everybody with her deftness in creating children’s portraits, no matter how wiggly some of them were! It was delightful to see the faces of grown-ups and kids light up when they saw the portraits. This event also helped us raise some funds for the school, as Jean Comerford donated 20% of the proceeds.
We celebrated Teachers Appreciation week in May with a luncheon for the teachers on May 5 and a breakfast on May 7. We are thankful to all parents who helped underscore the appreciation by bringing in the dishes for these days.

We now have a Worm Factory!
Thanks to a non-profit program from Nature's Footprint, KEMPO was able to purchase a new worm factory at a reduced price. This worm factory is now housed in Classroom 7 and will be used in composting with worms and help raise awareness about sustainability. The worms have made dirt from food scraps! We hope that this worm box thrives so that the school can extend this program to other classrooms as well.

Potraits in Silhouette Sign up for Friday April 16, 2010

2010-03-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

Renowned silhouette artist Jean Comerford (featured in Yankee magazine) is coming to Keystone on April 16th!
Capture your child's silhouette in a timeless protrait! Silhouette portraits make a great Mother's Day gift and are ideal gifts for grandparents or other family members.

All the materials used, from the cotton-rag mat board to the artisan glue, are of the highest standard acid-free archival quality. This ensures that the silhouette will remain beautiful and intact for generations to come.

Silhouette artists are increasingly rare, so take advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

See below for open slots and send email to keystone.parents@gmail.com to reserve yours with deposit.

9:00 - Kristina Pinto (Henry Sawyer) (DR=49) (Needs escort - Room 1, 3 Silhouettes)

9:10 - Indiana Chasen (Isabel) (DR = $15)
9:20 - OPEN

9:30 - Debbie Christianson (Outside - Pam Davies) (DR+$15)

9:40 - Debbie Christianson (Outside - Pam Davies) (DR=$15)

9:50 - OPEN
10:00 - break

10:10 - Dana Snowdon (Henry Snowdon) (DR=$57 + 10 Friday, 2 Silhouettes) (Needs escort - Room 7)

10:20 - Phil Petshek (Eva) (DR=$15)

10:30 - Melissa Barger Baern (DR=$15?)

10:40 - Melissa Barger Baern (DR=$15?)

10:50 - OPEN

11:00 - break

11:10 - Tina Miris (Outside - Pam Davies) (DR=$15)
11:20 - Tina Miris (Outside - Pam Davies) (DR=$15)
11:30 - Tina Miris (Outside - Pam Davies) (DR=$15)
11:40 - Pamela Davies (Sam Byrne) (DR=$15)
11:50 - Pamela Davies (Nate Byrne) (DR=$15)
12:00 - break
12:10 - Kim Proulx (Sasha) (DR=$29)

12:20 - Steven Crowley (Mia) (DR=$15)

12:30 - Steven Crowley (DR=$15)

12:40 - Steven Crowley (DR=$15)

12:50 - Steven Crowley (DR=$15)

1:00 - 2:00 - lunch break

2:00 - OPEN
2:10 - OPEN
2:20 - OPEN
2:30 - OPEN

2:40 - Suneetha Kammila (mother of Akhil Kammila) (DR=$15)

2:50 - Suneetha Kammila (DR=$15)

3:00 - break
3:10 - Joe Lemay (Aiden) (DR=$15)
3:20 - Joe Lemay (Avery) (DR=$15)
3:30 - Peijun Shao ( Estella Cui) (DR=$15)
3:40 - Marcy Mason (Outside) (DR=$15)
3:50 - Marcy Mason (Outside) (DR=$15)
4:00 - break
4:10 - Mary Archer-Brey (Wyatt) (DR=$15)
4:20 - Mary Archer-Brey (William) (DR=$15)

4:30 - Caitlin Carrigan (DR=$15)

AD == Awaiting Deposit
DR == Deposit Received

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome back!
We hope you had an enjoyable holiday season and we wish you a wonderful and successful 2010!

Join us for Keystone Montessori Night at the Jump On In, Lowell!
Keystone students and parents can bring along friends to this event!

When: January 18th between 5 pm and 7 pm
Location: 100 Phoenix Ave., Lowell, MA 01852, Ph.:978-453-9700
Price (per play session): $8.50 per person (includes pizza & drink!)
Session includes 45 minutes of play, followed by a slice of pizza and a drink.
Playtime session 1: 5 pm to 5.45 pm
Playtime session 2: 5.45 pm to 6.30 pm
Be sure to get there before the playtime session of your choice begins. You can also attend more than one play session!

Adults can also purchase tickets for a raffle that will be held during this event.

Jump On In will donate 20% of the sales proceeds and 50% of raffle sales to the school! So join us and support the school!

Thank you to everybody who contributed to the fundraiser for the 2010 AMS conference!
KEMPO is pleased to be able to support this cause so that teachers can attend this event and bring new ideas to the classroom to enhance your child's education.

Next KEMPO meeting - All parents invited
The next meeting is scheduled for January 15 from 1.45 pm to 3 pm in Room 6.
Agenda for the meeting is to determine calendar of events (social and fundraisers) for the remainder of the school year. If you cannot attend but have suggestions for events, do contact us at keystone.parents@gmail.com.

Tip of the Week
Visit http://www.schoolfamily.com/ for expert insight, tips and resources for parents to help children succeed in school. Click on the link to check out downloadable tools such as an incentive chart for reading, the night-before-school checklist, the screen-time tracker and curriculum quizzes for each grade.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

KEMPO wishes everyone a joyous and peaceful holiday season, and a wonderful New Year.

UN Dinner - Online Recipe Request & Video

2009-11-19T07:12:00.001-08:00

The food was such a huge success at the UN Dinner, we would like to create a online recipe folder. Please send in your recipes, along with the country it’s from, that you made for the UN Dinner to keystone.parents@gmail.com. If you only have a recipe on paper, please make a copy and leave it in the KEMPO mailbox upstairs. We’ll do our best to put it on there. If you used an online recipe. Please send us the pointer.

Also, here is a pointer to the audience participation video from the UN Dinner. Thanks to Ms. Walton for leading the musical event.

Ideas in Progress and Request for feedback

2009-11-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

Would you be interested in a babysitting to give you some time to go holiday shopping? If so, what timeframe, day of week and time? Comment here.

Tip of the week

2009-11-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

Next time your child is talking loudly or screaming, try whispering to them. They will have to stop screaming to listen to you. Tell us what happens!

You are invited to KEMPO Social Hour(s) on November 18th

2009-11-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

We will have a KEMPO social hour and meeting from 6 to 8 pm on Wednesday, November 18. In an effort to accomodate work schedules, we have chosen an evening schedule and we hope that you can attend. This is your opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas about how KEMPO can make a difference and also to discuss any concerns you might have. We would like to share with you activities we are planning and look for your ideas and input. We will provide refreshments; however, childcare will not be available. Please RSVP to keystone.parents@gmail.com.

Thank you for all those who attended. Please join us next time.

Meet the KEMPO Board members

2009-11-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

Co-Presidents: Leela Obilichetti and Radhika Pillai
Leela is a high tech software manager, and currently she is a full-time mom to her daughter, who attends Children’s House classroom 1.
Radhika is a marketing and brand management professional, who is currently a full-time mom to her son, who attends the Lower Elementary classroom.
Treasurer: Nandita Agarwal
Nandita’s son attends Children’s House classroom 4; Nandita owns a custom jewelry business.
Secretary: This position is currently open and available to parents who might be interested.
Other members of the board:
Karen Uttecht was President of KEMPO from 2007 to 2009 and is currently working towards her graduate degree in Computer Science at UMass Lowell. Her daughter attends the Lower Elementary classroom and her son goes to Children’s House classroom 1.
Diana Lawton is an author and food writer, and her son attends the Lower Elementary classroom. Diana is helping out with KEMPO’s fundraising activities.

KEMPO mission for the 2009/2010 school year

2009-11-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Our mission for this school year is to help foster a greater sense of community and belonging among Keystone families, by organizing and hosting events every month. We believe that a vibrant and active parent community strengthens the school and creates an environment where students will enjoy their overall experience at the school.

A Big Thank You to the Siegler family!

2009-11-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

KEMPO would like to thank Siegler Family (Lower Elementary), for their generous donation of $100 to KEMPO. We greatly appreciate and value your support. Thank you!

2009 UN Dinner - A Big Thank You to all parents who attended!

2009-10-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

The 12th annual United Nations Dinner to celebrate UN Day was held on October 25 at the Chelmsford Senior Center from 4 pm to 6 pm. We estimate that more than 150 people attended the event.
Children enjoyed creating beaded chains with cut-outs of animals from different continents, and other craft activities. In keeping with past years, this was a truly colorful event, with guests sampling an array of food from different cultures and many wearing traditional attire from cultures of their choice.
Decorations included murals (one of them pictured here) that were created by Keystone students and families to celebrate the International Day of Peace, in connection with the Art Miles Project. These murals will now be sent to Egypt, to be displayed on pyramids along with murals from other parts of the world, in this truly global project.
The highlight of the event came when Arts and Music teacher, Ms. Kathy Walton, leading elementary students on stage, engaged the audience in a lively interactive musical session featuring Orff instruments and songs about the world.
The event was capped by a raffle of themed baskets full of goodies made possible by donations from parents from all the classes. Thanks to all parents who helped with these baskets and congratulations to the winners!

Tip of the Week

2009-10-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can make sidewalk paint at home with just a few ingredients such as food coloring and starch?
Try this the next time the infamous New England weather offers us a bonus day of sun and enough warmth for kids to play outside..... Not only is this fun for the kids, it is also environmentally friendly and biodegradable.
Find out how to make sidewalk paint here: http://www.ehow.com/how_2074363_make-sidewalk-paint.html

What is KEMPO working on?

2009-10-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

Gearing up for the next event.... stay tuned for more information

KEMPO Calendar of Events (Tentative)
December - Silhouettes/Jump-on-in
January - Flatbreads Social
February - Jump-on-in Social/Museum trip
March - Trip to the movies/Museum
April - KEMPO Spring Social
May - Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3- 7)
June - Year-end picnic

Easy ways to support your school
Target's Take Charge of Education Program - find out more at www.target.com/tcoe
Hannaford Helps Schools Program - find out more at http://www.hannaford.com
Boxtops for Education

Bring in your Box Tops for Education

2009-10-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Keystone participates in the Box Tops for Education program, sponsored by General Mills, and we need your help to reach our goal of raising $500 for our school this year.

Here's what you can do to help: Clip box top coupons from participating products like Cheerios, Ziploc, Pillsbury, Juicy Juice, Hefty, and more. (Here's the complete list of products.) The coupon looks just like the image posted above. Then bring the coupons in to Keystone and drop them off in the coupon box on the bookshelf in front of Kathy's desk. That's it!

Each box top coupon you submit earns Keystone 10 cents. Here's something cool: if every Keystone parent brought in just three box top coupons a month, we'd reach our goal of raising $500 for our children at Keystone.

Our first mailing of box tops is due on October 31 -- that's just three weeks from now -- so let's get as many coupons in the mail as we can. Thanks for your support!

Tip of the week - Recipes

2009-09-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Smoothie (featuring a secret ingredient that packs a punch!)

If you have a picky eater on your hands, getting him/her to eat healthy can be a challenge. A smoothie is a quick and easy way to sneak in some extra nutrition into your child's diet. Smoothies are great because you don't have to follow an exact recipe; you can customize them for your child's taste.

Here's a recipe submitted by a fellow Keystone parent. You will never guess the secret ingredient in this recipe - it's Kale!

Ingredients (all organic or local as possible):

2 stems Kale - destemmed and shredded
1 Banana, cut up into pieces
1/2 cup Frozen Blueberries (fresh also works)
1/2 + 1/2 cup Milk of choice (or a blend of Coconut and Hemp Milk)
OPTIONAL: Hemp Protein powder
WAY OPTIONAL: 1/4 Avocado, cut up into chunks
Note: Instead of bananas and blueberries, you may substitute the fruits that your child prefers.

Steps:

In a blender, blend (to as smooth as possible) to liquid Kale leaves. The more liquid they are, the more chance of hiding it.
Add Banana, blueberries and 1/2 cup milk
Blend until smooth.
Add more of the fruits and milk as needed and blend to the correct consistency your child likes.
OPTIONAL: Add the protein powder and/or Avocado.
Add more milk and a sweetener such as Honey or Maple Syrup.
Blend some more and serve up this delectable and nutritious treat!

Makes 1-2 servings.
Recipe Courtesy Ms. Leela Obilichetti

To share your "clever" recipes, email keystone.parents@gmail.com.

Tip of the Week - Events

2009-09-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Past Events

Winter Sing-a-longs

You are invited to bring your family and friends to the winter sing-a-longs. Join us for 45 minutes of singing, dancing, and playing instruments to your favorite songs. The fee is $8/family. No sign up is required.

Sing-a-longs will be held at 9:30 am (only) on the following dates andlocations.

Knights of Columbus, 40 Summer Street, Maynard, MA (Corner of Nason andSummer Sts.)Thursday, December 10 and 17

Union Congregational Church, 218 Main Street, Groton, MA (Rte. 119/GrotonCenter)Wednesday, December 16 and Tuesday, December 22

See you all there!

Mister Vic and Pat978-897-0874mtofav@comcast.net

Festival of Trees
Date: November 21, 2009 - December 5, 2009
Location: Methuen, Massachusetts

Website: http://www.methuenfestivaloftrees.com/

The Festival of Trees, an annual event, was begun to fund the restoration of the Tenney Gatehouse. It is a magical event held annually by the Festival of Trees, Inc., to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season. Event details are on the web site.

Town Halls Benefit Concert
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Chelmsford High School Performing Arts Center

The Town Halls Benefit Concert will feature talented local artists including Nova Scotia Celtic Band Tri, Stuart Highlanders Pipe Band, Anna Dagmar, Yoke Shire, Dance New England Celtic Dance Troupe and more. The goal of the concert is to raise funds to revitalize Chelmsford’s historic town halls.

Tickets ($10 adults; $5 children under 12) are on sale now at www.mktix.com, Music Academy of Chelmsford, the Chelmsford Town Clerk's office and Chelmsford's Community Education office. For more information, contact townhallsbenefit@yahoo.com.

"James and the Giant Peach", by The Peacock Players
Directed by Medina Mahfuz
October 16th-18th, 2009
Location: Nashua

Watch a fabulous group of child actors who do amazing, professional quality theatre.
An imprisoned boy! A magical peach! Insect friends! An incredible journey! The amazing adventure of James Henry Trotter will fulfill the fantasy of anyone who has ever dreamed of escape. Roald Dahl's story comes hilariously to life in this delightful dramatization that reveals the wickedness of some, the goodness of others, and the indecision encountered by many when they are faced with crises.

SHOWTIMES:
FRIDAY @ 7PM
SATURDAY @ 2PM & 7PM
SUNDAY @ 2PM
Get tickets and more info:http://www.peacockplayers.org/

Art Miles Project - Sunday September 20, 1 PM to 3 PM
Location: Keystone Montessori School
Bring your friends to Keystone's celebration of the United Nations International Day of Peace. We will be creating an art mural and creating peace flags to celebrate peace. Parents and children can enjoy painting and community. As part of the Art Miles Project, our mural will be sent to Egypt where it will be displayed on the pyramids. Click below to read more -
http://www.examiner.com/x-20451-Boston-Montessori-Learning-Examiner~y2009m9d10-Celebrate-International-Day-of-Peace-making-community-art-mural

5th Annual Farm Fair - Saturday, Sept 26 Noon - 4:00 PM
Location: Barrett-Byam Homestead
Rain Date: Sunday, Sept 27
http://www.chelmhist.org/calendar.htm

Parents, here's a suggestion for a fairly low-key, low-cost event that your kids might enjoy. If you go, do let us know if your family had a good time. Read on....

A family day of cider making and tasting, hay rides, tours of the Barrett-Byam Homestead and Watts-Stevens Education Center and more. Special music will be provided for entertainment and the Chelmsford Art Society will display the creations of numerous local artists. Demonstrations of flax production will fascinate the children as they try their hand at some of the chores they may have had to do, including beating and combing. A cider making demonstration allows children to make apple juice.

Kick-Off Meeting - All Parents are invited

2009-09-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

All Keystone parents are invited to the kick-off meeting.
Date & Time: September 29, 2009, 4 pm to 6 pm
Location: Classroom 6
The agenda: Elections to determine board members, KEMPO calendar, Planning for annual United Nations Day dinner.

Welcome to all parents!!

2009-09-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

KEMPO extends a warm welcome to all parents entering the 2009/2010 school year!
New parents, let us know how we can help, as you get to know your child's school!

KEMPO Meeting

2009-09-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Come to a meeting!
Our first meeting is scheduled for September 15th at 3 pm. The school provides free childcare to parents who attend KEMPO meetings. Everyone is invited to attend and add input; please don’t be shy! KEMPO’s calendar will be available online by the end of September ‘09.

KEMPO invites parent volunteers

2009-09-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

KEMPO's board for 2009/2010:
Co-Presidents: Diana Lawton and Radhika Pillai
Secretary: Leela Obilichetti
Treasurer: Nandita Agarwal
Officers and chairpersons are elected at the beginning of the year by Keystone parents.

A special thank you goes out to all parents who have offered to volunteer their time for KEMPO this school this year. Your support is invaluable.

KEMPO invites all parents to join the organization.
Becoming involved is a great way to make new friends, gain experience in a non-profit organization, and have fun at the same time! The amount of time you choose to spend volunteering is entirely upto you.
If you are interested in volunteering at KEMPO, then please send an e-mail to keystone.parents@gmail.com, indicating your interests.

What is KEMPO?

2009-09-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

KEMPO stands for Keystone Montessori Parents Organization.
Our goal is to provide a warm and inviting community for our children to thrive in, and to give them access to the best teaching practices and materials.
All Keystone Montessori School parents are members. The KEMPO board and committees are made up of parent volunteers.
KEMPO sponsors social events throughout the year such as the Ice Cream Social, annual U.N. Dinner, Fall/Spring Socials, End-of-year School Picnic. KEMPO also occasionally provides an avenue for parents who own businesses to showcase and sell their products during some events, and donate 10% of proceeds to KEMPO.
KEMPO raises funds to enhance your child’s education and make improvements to the school without raising tuition.
Projects that KEMPO has funded include: additional materials for the classrooms such as bead cabinets, the limited-access security keypad for the office, the peace-pole planted on the playground and additional funds for teachers to attend the American Montessori Society’s national conference.
This summer, KEMPO was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Horne Family Foundation. The grant has made it possible to establish a new Music and Arts program in all Keystone’s classrooms, utilizing new musical instruments and art materials.

$20,000 Horne Family Foundation Grant Awarded to KEMPO

2009-09-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

/grant%20press%20release.doc

See the Press Release in the Lowell Sun here -
http://www.lowellsun.com/schools/ci_13281976

Welcome to all Keystone families!

2009-09-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

KEMPO extends a warm welcome to all Keystone families

entering the 2009-2010 school year!

Welcome to Keystone Parents Blog!

2009-09-02T10:04:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the new Keystone Parents Blog & Website!